Elevator safety device.



S. KOWALSKI.

ELEVATOR SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED :mzs. 1915.

1 203,205. Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

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S. KQWALSKI.

ELEVATOR SAFETY DEVICE. APPLICATION FlLED JAN. 26. 19m.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

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STENLY KOWALSKI, OF RIO, WISCONSIN.

ELEVATOR SAFETY DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

Application filed January 26, 1916. Serial No. 74,350.

I '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STENLY KowALsKI, subject of the Czar of Russia, residing at Rio, in the county of Columbia and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevator Safety Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in elevator safety devices.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an attachment for elevators adapted for preventing injury to the occupants and contents thereof in the event that the hoisting cable becomes accidentally severed.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an automatically operated resilient holding catch adjacent the vertical corners of the elevator, the same being released upon the severing of the hoisting cable, so as to engage means within the elevator shaft for holding the elevatoras well as cushioning the same at the time of its stoppage.

The present invention contemplates an attachment that may be readily applied to any usual form of elevator which is moved longitudinally of a shaft provided with a hoisting cable and provides any number of catches upon the, elevator car connected by operating levers and a weight to the hoisting cable whereby upon severing of the cable, the weight automatically actuates the said catches for resiliently suspending the car within the shaft.

\Vith these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same con sists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like-designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car provided with the present device'in its set position and partially broken away, oppositely arranged engaging racks of the elevator shaft being illustrated. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the elements as positioned upon a severance of the hoisting cable, Fig. 3 is a view Bin'll lar to Fig. 1 of an adjacent side of the car. Fig. i is a horizontal sectional view through the shaft members, the elevator car being shown in top plan and the hoisting cable being removed therefrom. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of one of the buffer catches, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the catch block employed therewith.

The present form of safety device is herein illustrated in connection with a substantially usual form of car 10 adaptable for use either for passenger or freight service, the same being arranged for vertical movement within an elevator shaft (not shown) provided with opposite guide ways or rails 11 freely positioned between spaced brackets 12 carried by the opposite sides of the car.

An upright beam 1 1 is arranged adjacent each of the four corners of the car 10 extending substantially the entire height of the elevator shaft through which the said car is adapted to travel, each of the said beams being provided with a toothed rack 15 upon its inner face, being the face thereof positioned adjacent the car 10 when operatively positioned in the shaft.

The aforementioned brackets 12 are arranged upon the opposite sides 16 of the car 10, while automatically operated engaging catches for the racks 15 hereinafter described, are arranged upon the intervening sides 17 of the car.

A crank shaft 18 is j ournaled transversely of the top of the car 10 by means of spaced angle irons 19 and has angularly extending arms 20 at its opposite ends which lie substantially in the plane of the car sides 17. An operating weight 21 is carried by the wrist portion 22 of the crank shaft 18 and projects outwardly therefrom, while the hoisting cable 23 for the car 10 is secured to a ring 26% upon the weight 21 which is opposite and in alinement with the crank portion of the shaft 18. 2

Each of the car sides 17 is provided with a catch block 25 after the manner illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, all of the catch blocks being simultaneously operable upon a severing of the cable 23, so as to engage the racks 15. A substantially L-shaped casing 27 is positioned adjacent an outer edge of each of the sides 17, being provided with a longitudinal slot 28 slightly spaced from the adjacent side 16. The block 25 is slidably mounted within the casing 27 and has a triangular log 29 adapted to projestf through the slot 28, the block 25 however short end 30 of the casing 27 when the catch block 25 is in its inoperative set posi tion and at which times the lug 29 is with drawn through the slot 28 and internally of the casing 27 as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The push rod 31 is longitudinally slidably arranged in straps 32 upon the car sides 17 and an end is arranged in axial alinement with a perforation 33 in the adjacent end of the casing extension 30. An angular rocking lever 3a is pivoted as at 35 to the sides 17 and has a pin and slot connection 36 with the rod 31, while a link 37 operatively connects the lever 34- with the free end of the adjacently positioned arm 20. A buffer or cushioning spring 38 is arranged within the casing 27 being secured at the upper end of the casing as at 39.

From this detailed description of the device, it will be seen that when the hoisting cable 23 is severed, the weight 21 will tilt laterally by the force of gravity to the position illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. This movement of the weight '21 shifts the crank shaft 18 so as to elevate the opposite arms 20 thereof, which action exerts a pull upon the connecting links 37 By pulling the link 37, the lever 3a is rocked which shifts the rod 31 outwardly pushing the catch block 25 outwardly of the extension 30 and with the lug 29 through the casing slot 28, whereupon the said lug engages one of the teeth of the rack 15 during the descent of the car 10 and the catch block moves upwardly in the casing 27 and is cushioned by means of the afore-mentioned spring 38. It will thus be seen that the springs 38 taken together will resiliently support the car 10 when ever the cable 23 is accidentally broken, the safety mechanism being automatically operated through the release of the weight 21, it being understood that the weight is overbalanced as herein illustrated, so as to fall laterally upon being released.

While the form of the invention herein shown and described, is what is believed to be the preferred embodiment thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

That I claim as new is 1. A device of the class described comprising in combinationv with an elevator car, block catches arranged upon opposite sides of the.car, a crank shaft journaled upon the top of the said car, a weight secured in off-set position upon the wrist portion of the said crank shaft, a hoisting cable-for the car attached to the said weight, and operative connections between the said shaft and block.

2. A device of the class described comprising upright toothed racks, an elevator car adjusted for travel between the said racks, a crank shaft transversely journaled upon the top of the said car, a weight arranged in an offset position upon the wrist portion of the said crank shaft, a hoisting cable for the car attached to the said weight at the opposite side thereof from and normally in the same plane as the said crank, angular operating arms at the opposite ends of the said shaft, catch blocks carried by opposite sides of the said car, operatively positioned adjacent the said racks, operative connections between the said arms and the said blocks whereby the latter are automatically arranged in engagement with the said racks upon the breaking of the said cable.

3. A device of the class described comprising upright toothed racks, an elevator car adjusted for travel between the said racks, a crank shaft transversely journal-ed upon the top of the said car, a weight arranged in an off-set position upon the wrist portion of the said crank shaft, a hoisting cable for the car attached to the said weight at the opposite side thereof from and normally in the same plane as the said crank, angular operating arms at the opposite ends of the said shaft, laterally shiftable engaging blocks for the said racks carried by the said car, operating means between the said arms and blocks, and cushioning means for the blocks.

4. A safety device for elevators comprising in combination with a car, a crank shaft journaled upon'the top of the said car, an operating weight for the said crank shaft, a hoisting cable for the car attached to the said weight, a casing upon the car having an inclosed portion, a cushioned block slidable within the casing, means operated by said crank shaft for projecting said block, opposite upright racks positioned adjacent the car, an engaging lug for the adjacent one of the said racks upon the said block, and a cushioning spring for the said block Within the said casing.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

STENLY KOVVALSKL Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

